[WikiEN-l] Cultural distinctions are accidental? Consensus among cultures is bad?

Sun Jun 11 22:39:40 UTC 2006

Raphael Wegmann wrote:

>Anthony DiPierro wrote:
>  
>
>>Jimbo claims he's said this many times in the past.  I couldn't find
>>any, but if anyone else can maybe I can better understand what he's
>>saying.  If Jimbo does "NOT think that cultural distinctions between
>>difference language Wikipedias are accidental", then he must think
>>they're intentional.  That raises the question as to who intended
>>these distinctions, and what distinctions were intended.  I always
>>thought the English Wikipedia at least was supposed to be neutral with
>>regard to culture.  Maybe English is the exception?
>>    
>>
>Regardless whether the cultural distinctions are intended or not,
>they are a fact. I would consider i.e. a translation of terms like
>Islam and Terrorism from english to arabic and vice versa very
>exciting. I honestly thought about paying a translator to do it.
>
Charged as those terms might be, that is not where the translation 
difficulties are going to be.  Islam can be any religion based on the 
Qur'an, and can include a wide range of practices, both moderate and 
extremist.  "Terrorism" as a word transcends language, because the 
debste over just what terrorim is will remain similar in any language.

Ec